Guidelines for Referees

Thank you for agreeing to help edit Statistics Surveys. We seek high
quality papers covering theory, computation, methodology, or applications.
When refereeing for SS, please keep the following in mind.

(1) Positive Refereeing.

Please resist having a "reject if possible" attitude.
We do want to keep the quality high, but don't reject papers
for subjective, vague reasons. Whenever possible, try
to give concrete suggestions for improving the paper.

(2) Clarity.

Because SS covers a wide range of topics, we don't expect that every
statistician can read every paper. Still, we expect authors to write
as clearly as possible. The abstract and introduction should be
accessible to a wide audience.

(3) Correctness.

Mathematical and algorithmic validity are the authors' professional
responsibility. Referees can spot implausible claims and broad errors
of statistical or mathematical reasoning, but are not expected to
perform a line-by-line check of technical results, unless the referee
feels that careful checking is crucial to the paper.

(4) Novelty and content.

Papers should survey or review a well-defined area of significant interest.
Novelty or new material is not an essential requirement.

(5) Unusual ideas are welcome.

Fresh and unusual points of view are particularly welcome in SS,
even if they may be controversial.

(6) The big picture.

Your opinion about the paper's basic qualities rather than an extended
technical review is most important to us.

(7) Timing.

Please submit your report in 3 weeks if at all possible.
If you need more time, let the Associate Editor know.

Thank you again for your help. Good refereeing is the key ingredient
of a successful journal.